"C'est terrible! Who told you that you can waltz away by yourself into the taiga unprepared, Saithe Vivana?" scolded Pierre in a very extravagant French accent.

"Certainly not you, Mr. Smarty Pants..." she mumbled under her breath.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing that you'd want to hear, sir."

Pierre snorted. Adjusting his spectacles over his nose, he stared at Saithe pointedly and said, "You know the rules here, Miss Vivana, and they include applying to get out of the lab for field work, which you obviously didn't adhere to. Since you broke it, you shall have to be punished."

Saithe flared up at once, indignant. "It wasn't even field work, and since when there was punishment meted out in this lab?!"

"Since I said so just now."

"Tu... Tu est trés-!"

"Now, now, no cussing in French, my dear. Manners and respect. Anyways, I sentence you to clean out the aviary out on the plains. Make sure to feed the birds as well. I expect the job to be done by dinnertime." He glanced at his watch, raising his eyebrows. "And you don't have much time left, Red Lightning."

"Je ne suis pas-!"

"Tut, tut, what did I say about cussing in French?"

"I'm not Red Lightning! And I wasn't cussing! And how can I do it in just one hour?!"

"I'm sure your lightning speed and wonderful gut sense will help you. Au revoir, and remember to feed the birds."

Seething with rage, Saithe watched her superior as he stepped into an elevator and disappeared. As much as she respected him for his work and contributions to science, she absolutely hated him for his bossy attitude. Oooh, how she felt like slapping him right now! Stomping off to her room to get ready, she ran into twenty-two-year-old Jade Nite, her roommate and best friend in the world. She was a hardcore British otaku who watched too many animes for her own good, often times staying up until one in the morning just to fangirl over Ayato Whatshisname from Tokyo Ghoul, and many more other anime characters that Saithe can't even begin to remember. Saithe, on the other hand, would chuck pillows at her and tell her to shut up because 'if you don't sleep due to hyper-squealing over Menma Whatever-his-full-name-is, my gut sense tells me that you are not gonna wake up tomorrow until at least twelve in the afternoon and then you'd be told off by the nightmare, Pierre.'

Right now, Jade, who was holding a bunch of graphs and data papers, was stunned at the amount of fury present on the French girl's face. "What's wrong, Saithe?" she said, stepping in front of her friend to stop her from her mad headlong charge.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? Pierre the stinking Rodriguez is what's wrong!" she screamed in high temper. "You won't believe what he told me to do, Jade sis. He told me to clean the big fat aviary in just one hour! Une heure! Maybe he was pissed off by the fact that I was right in the mountain goat death case and wants payback... Le cochon malodorant..."

"Okay... I don't know what cocon maloderent is, but calm down, sis," said Jade, shooting her a wry look. "That guy's not worth getting mad over. I can help you clean it right after I put these stuff away in my files, so don't worry."

Saithe calmed herself, taking deep breaths. "Okay, sis, sorry for causing you trouble."

"Nah, don't mention it. That's what friends are for, right?" Jade smiled. Saithe smiled back, taking half the papers from the teal-green-eyed Brit. "Here, let me help..."

***

Salamander had suddenly found himself glommed by the two girls and dragged unceremoniously towards the aviary. They entered the raptors' enclosure first. He had no time to protest as they handed him a large, black, bio-degradable plastic bag.

"To put the dirty, pooped-up newspaper," Jade had said helpfully. "And you might want a pair of gloves."

He took a set of grimy garden gloves and put them on, wondering why he was agreeing to help them. "They must be casting an ancient Lakota Earth spell on me with their beautiful feminine charm..." he muttered, grabbing up a fistful of smelly newspaper. He made a repulsed face, which set the two girls giggling behind his back.

"Sorry to involve you in this, Salem, but there was no way I could do it in one hour, and my gut sense told me to employ you as help," said Saithe gaily, siphoning out the stale water in the bird bath and filling it up with a pailful of fresh clear liquid.

"Sure... No doubt your remarkable gut sense told you that I wouldn't turn down your requests, no matter how obnoxious and abominable they are..." replied Salamander, taking care to accentuate the words heavily. Somewhere behind at the feeding tables, Jade gave a small snort of laughter. Saithe glared at her, miffed. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, 'cept the fact that old Ironbeak decided to flippin' gift you with a white and green present on your head," chortled Jade, sweeping the leftover bird-food on the table into a bin.

"Quoi?!" Instinctively, Saithe's hand shot to her head and came into contact with a squishy substance. Immediately, she glared upwards at an old, resident, osprey that had been living there for a year, waving her fist at its smirking beak. "Why you old pilferer, how dare you ambush me with your smelly droppings? Shit, I'll have to wash my hair later..."

"Like, literally shit," sniggered Jade.

"Here, let me get it off for you, Lúta Wakȟáŋgli." Salamander advanced on her with a mischievous grin, bird-pooped gloves extended before him and aiming for her head.

"Aaaaaah! Get away from me, you great green monster!" yelled Saithe, brandishing the pail at him.

Jade slapped her thighs in pure amusement. "Ahahahhaahahha! Get her, Salamander!"

There was much screaming and yelling and laughing in the aviary that evening. The three friends had managed to turn a laborious job into an entertaining one. From his office in the Centre, Pierre could hear the uproarious guffawing and shrieking that could only belong to the Devil's spawn from France and her British and Lakota friends. He silently cursed, angry that his plan to make her life here miserable had backfired almost every single time. Closing his windows to shut off the noise, he picked up a file on his table and leafed through it, deep furrows forming on his brow. He would have to locate the belugas soon. They were coming, and that meant business.

*Half an hour later*

"Blinkin' fox whiskers, we've still got one quarter of the aviary to clean out and I'm already pooped," sighed Jade, heaving a bucket of seeds onto the feeding table.

"Like, literally pooped," said an equally tired Saithe, wiping her grimed hands onto her coverall. "Sacre bleu! I didn't know Alaskan birds can generate this much egesta in just one day..."

"Trust me, they do," said Salamander, dumping another bag of fouled-up newspaper into the bin.

"Yes, we totally trust you, Salem..." said Saithe sarcastically. Turning to Jade, she said, "Hey, Jade sis, I know this may seem abrupt, but can I ask you for another favour?"

Jade gave her an uneasy look. "Ne, what is it imouto? Cleaning the animal enclosures?"

"No!" said Saithe, horrified. "No more cleaning, I swear. I have this interesting piece of news for you that you may like. It concerns a black mountain lion."

"A BLACK MOUNTAIN LION?!" shrieked Jade, dropping her bucket immediately and grabbing Saithe's shoulders. "You have to tell me where you saw it. Black mountain lions are never heard of, it could be a new species, or maybe even a hybrid desu!"

Saithe removed Jade's hands slowly. "Promise not to tell anyone about this. What I'm about to say next would probably sound ridiculous, but it's real, and I don't want the whole lab society to go up in a ruckus..."

Jade crossed her heart and shook Saithe's hand. "I promise. Now, tell me about that black mountain lion! I'm anxious, I'm hyper, I need to know, like, right NOW!"

"Woahoh, cool down, Jade!" Salamander walked to the girls after getting rid of the waste and promptly removed his stinking gloves. "I know you love pumas and all. Saithe the Red Lightning will tell you alright."

Saithe shot him a glare. "Stop calling me Red Lightning."

"Well, it's true. You cleaned the aviary in lightning speed," he shrugged.

"You two lovers should stop bickering and tell me about the black puma! NOW!" yelled Jade, shaking Saithe's shoulders.

"L-lovers?!" sputtered Saithe, looking genuinely shocked. "Jade, we're just friends!"

"Y-yeah! Just friends!" agreed Salamander at once, eyes wide.

"Heck, sure, you're just friends. Okay, I'll leave it at that... Now tell me! Tell me tell me tell me!"

Saithe blushed furiously, telling Jade in an undertone, "I'm so killing you tonight." Then, she took a deep breath to compose herself and began. "Salem and I found an actual tiger wolf today. She was deep in the woods, near the cliff area - I'm sure you know that place - and she was limping, so we tried to help her."

"Wait, hold on. You found a tiger wolf?! As in a striped wolf? As in that extinct animal that you're always going on about? Sugoi..." said Jade, accidentally stepping onto a pile of greenish gunk. "Oh, fishcakes, that's just disgusting... Anyways, continue."

"Yes, that extinct animal... I still can't believe I've found one though... Anyways, back to the story. She was hurt, so we wanted to take her back secretly and heal her, but then this huge black puma appeared out of nowhere and threatened us to drop the pup. We had no choice. If we didn't, we would've probably been eaten alive by her. The puma took up the pup in her jaws and ran off... her name is Angeline by the way, and the tiger wolf pup is called Teravfon. Or just Tera."

"They have their own names? That's... unexpected. Wait, how do you know their names?"

"I just talked to them like always."

"Oh, I totally forgot you could understand animal speech. But, back to the point, did you see where the puma ran off to?"

"It bounded into the forest and disappeared swiftly. We couldn't see where it went, and that's why we're asking you for help to track her. You used to be a puma researcher, anyways, even if you're studying red foxes now," said Saithe.

Jade huffed importantly. "Of course I can help! Pumas are my life, like lynxes and tiger wolves are yours. I'm more than happy to help, but you've got to give me time to prepare. And seeing that it's thirty minutes away from dinnertime, I need to go wash up and get ready the tracking equipment. So sorry, but I have to leave you two to finish up the cleaning. Pumas take my top priority... I hope you understand sis..."

"Sure... No probs, Salem and I can handle the rest of the mess. Go bathe and get ready, sis. We'll be fine," reassured Saithe, smiling.

Jade grinned back. "Welp! I'm going now, then." She passed Saithe and gave her a roguish wink, whispering out of the corner of her mouth, "Have fun dating Salamander in bird poop." Saithe glared at her and was about to say something, but Jade had already ran off whooping.

"What just happened there?" said Salamander hesitantly, noticing that his friend had turned the colour of a scarlet Ibis.

"N-n-nothing! Nothing at all, haha!" she laughed nervously. "L-l-let's get back to work, shall we not?"

"Okay..." he said, picking up a hose. "You're being weird again."

"I'm not weird!" she snapped back, still blushing.

"Well, you are. You got locked up in the lab with a goat because of your weirdness."

"Salem!"

He released the hose and took her hands, looking her straight in the eye, much to her alarm. "It's what makes you special, Saithe Vivana. Honest. Your weirdness and gut sense never fails to amaze me."

Saithe felt like a bombshell had dropped on her. She averted her eyes quickly and, still blushing madly, she said softly, "Salem... you're making me feel...embarrassed."

Salamander immediately let go of her hands like he had been scalded. He felt heat rise to his cheeks as he picked up the hose again and said, "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to do that."

"No, don't be sorry... It's totally fine. Tres bien!" she said hastily, scattering some seeds into the feeding trough.

After that, the both of them simply shut up and continued their work in silence, though they occasionally stole glances at each other. With five more minutes to dinnertime, they finally finished the work, and the two friends collapsed onto a bench just outside the aviary.

"I could seriously do with a nap right now," grumbled Salamander.

"And I could seriously do with a bath right now," said Saithe, picking out straw from her long hair.

The Lakota sighed, stretching his arms. "Can I just skip dinner tonight?"

"Be my guest," said Saithe, worn out. "But I still need to eat. I basically starved myself today..."

"Then please don't go to the mess hall looking like a savaged lynx."

"That's not a bad idea actually, going there looking like a savaged lynx. I might just walk in smelling like bird and poop and sit next to Pierre Rodriguez so that he can inhale the smell of nature," she replied ironically. Her statement immediately set Salamander laughing like a hyena.

"Oh my gosh, you should really do that then! I can just imagine his face as he eats. Hahahaha, I hope he pukes!"

Saithe grinned at him impishly. "Then you should follow me to the mess hall as well. We'll flank that arrogant snob and make him regret for making me clean the aviary."

"Revenge is sweet, my dear Saithe. It is agreed. Let us go now!" he smirked, standing up and offering her a hand, which she took without a second thought.

"Yes, revenge is very sweet, especially if it concerns pay-back on the snob." She stood up, their hands still linked. Looking down at the floor, Saithe said slowly, "Thanks for always being there for me, Salem. I've only known you for one month, yet I feel as if I've known you forever. You really know how to cheer me up."

To her surprise, Salamander enveloped her in a hug, and she gasped. "You are one special girl, you know that, Saithe? You're always bubbly, full of life, never afraid to show your feelings, takes on hardships all by yourself... So don't worry, if you ever need anything, you can always confide in me or Jade. We will understand."

Saithe pressed her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat. "I'm glad I met you, Salem..."

"And I'm glad I met you, Saithe," beamed Salamander, letting go of his hug. "Come, let us proceed to stink up some idiots in the mess hall."

The French girl grinned like a wolf. "Yes, it's time for pay-back."

***

"OMG sis that was priceless!" hooted Jade, laughing until tears ran down her face. "What the hell made you walk into the mess hall looking and smelling like THAT?"

Saithe flipped her recently-washed hair dramatically. "Hah! I am the Mad Scientist Vivana after all, and today, the bird poop are my minions of world destruction!"

Jade was laughing way too hard on her bed to say anything, so Saithe decided to continue. "It was Salem's idea actually. He proposed that we stink up le cochon malodorant together, so we quickly sat next to him and flipped our fabulous smelling hair in his face."

"And he PUKED HAHAAHHA!" guffawed the Brit, rolling on her bed and clutching at her stomach. "Gosh, I'm getting a stitch in my side! Ahahahahah! That Pierre was asking for it! The baka head!"

Saithe grinned. She plopped herself down next to Jade and gave her ribs a soft punch, saying, "He deserved it. I feel so relieved that Salem was there to stink him up as well. Gave me more guts haha."

"Yokata... I'm glad you feel better now, sis," said Jade, hugging Saithe. She suddenly wiggled her eyebrows mischieviously at her younger colleague. "Say, what happened after I left you and Salem alone in the aviary? I bet you people flippin' loved it that the third wheel is gone."

"What?! N-no! We just continued working as usual, nothing much..."

"Really now?" Jade wiggled her eyebrows even more vigourously.

"Trust me! We didn't do anything! I-I... sis, just... leave the topic please..." said Saithe, blushing again for the millionth time that day.

Jade sighed dreamily. "You're such a tsundere, Saithe... and Salamander too, he's tsundere as well."

"Wait... what's tsundere?" asked Saithe, confused and flustered.

"Oh, nothing. Just search the net if you're interested," said Jade offhandedly. "With that said, I have already done preparations for tomorrow's tracking expedition. The equipment are all in the storage room downstairs, ready to grab and go. I take it Salamander is following as well?"

"Y-yeah, he is... We have yet to wait for the lynx kittens to open their eyes, so now, we're pretty much jobless. If you don't count all that paperwork and video camera screenings, that is." Saithe got up and combed her hair once more before dropping onto her own bed. "Je suis tres fatigue..."

"And I guess that means you're fatigued?" enquired Jade, pulling out a Naruto manga from under her pillow.

"True. You sure are learning French fast. I still can't seem to get your Japanese anime terms..."she said as she laid down and faced Jade. "And you better sleep, sis. No Narato tonight."

Jade gave a sudden explosive laugh. "Oh, HAHA! Sis, it's Naruto, not Narato. Seriously, I should also introduce you to Ayato from Tokyo Gh-"

"No thanks. Good night." With that, she flipped onto her side, away from Jade, and fell asleep in literally one minute.

"Sheesh. I was just trying to introduce some hot guys to you, imouto, but it seems I blinkin' fail all the time. Welp, can't be helped." She turned off the lights, hid under her blankets and used a torch light to read her manga so that Saithe wouldn't suspect a single thing. But deep down inside, Jade was squirming in anticipation for tomorrow. A black puma! And a tiger wolf, too! It was all just too exciting for her.

"Black puma Angeline, I'm so gonna find you if my name isn't Jade Nite!" she thought to herself. "But for now, I need some Naruto..."

French is fun :

C'est terrible : it's terrible
Tu est trés.. : you are really...
Je ne suis pas... : I am not...
Une heure : One hour
Le cochon malodorant : The smelly pig
Quoi : What

Lolol this was a very entertaining chapter to write. Jadenite_12 I hope I pulled you off correctly haha XD

I'm writing romance... O.o Wow.. unexepected. But anyways, hope this was interesting lol.

Btw, everyone hates Pierre, if it's not already obvious XP

Teravfon101 get better soon and read this.... this story is dedicated to you after all..

~SaitheVivana (feeling like a Mad Scientist now)